"I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was a good debut novel for me to have published. I was 26 or 27 when it was published. I already had a kid and would soon have a second"

John Irving's quote speaks with his experience as a young writer. He had been a student in Vienna and had actually discovered something interesting about the zoo there. This discovery motivated him to compose his launching book, which was released when he was 26 or 27 years old. At this point in his life, he already had one kid and was expecting a 2nd. This quote shows the hard work and devotion Irving took into his writing, as well as the personal sacrifices he made to pursue his imagine becoming a published author. It also speaks with the value of his household in his life, as he had the ability to balance his composing profession with his responsibilities as a dad.